$190,000,000 Mega Millions Winner Plans to "Pay it Forward"

Jim McCullar is One of the World’s Luckiest People…Ever

OLYMPIA: Retired Boeing employee and Vietnam War veteran, Jim McCullar, couldn’t be more excited about his Mega Millions $190,000,000 jackpot win. Surrounded by his wife and children, he accepted his ceremonial “huge” check today.

“Carolyn and I used to play our birthdays, 08-15-42 and 04-25-47,” Jim explained to Washington State’s Governor, Christine Gregoire, who came to meet the winner. “We first used the numbers playing the Oregon Lottery years ago and won $18,000. This time Carolyn said we should go back to using our lucky numbers. So we did and here we are!”

The father of six and grandfather of 23 said, “We’re not the only two winners. Our whole family is winning.” His daughter responded saying they were the lucky ones to have Jim and Carolyn as parents.

“I was watching Stephanie Vigil on KHQ news channel,” Jim recounted. “She looked me right in the eye and read the winning numbers. I felt like she was talking to me directly. I took my heart medication so I wouldn’t have a heart attack. Then I woke up my wife and had her come check the numbers with me to make sure. We called all of our kids and none of them believed us. I had to take a picture of the ticket next to the computer screen to prove it.”

“We used to look at houses all the time online and dream of what we could buy if we won the lottery. Now we look at those and think they don’t look like they’re that much,” Carolyn said.

The McCullar children say their parents won because they always pay it forward even when they couldn’t afford it.

“We always give people Christmas presents anonymously and turkeys to the food bank whenever possible. We’re just excited to pay it forward even more,” Jim explained. “We’re rich people who happen to be wealthy now.”

Gov. Gregoire left Washington’s Lottery saying, “It happened to the right family.”

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About Washington’s LotterySince 1982, Washington’s Lottery has generated more than $2.5 billion to important state programs, including education construction, stadium debt reduction, economic development and problem gambling prevention and treatment. At the direction of the 2010 Legislature, Washington’s Lottery will be the primary contributor to a number of state education programs such as state need grants, work study awards, and two merit scholarship programs. The state’s Lottery offers consumers several types of games: Mega Millions, Powerball, Lotto, Hit 5, Match 4, The Daily Game, Daily Keno and Scratch. For more information, visit walottery.com.